Malt Powder

A powder substance, not to be confused with malted milk powder, that is made from dried whole grains ground into a fine textured flour for use in making baked goods more nutritious and better tasting. This powder is most often made from sprouted barley, which is less expensive to produce than powder made with sprouted wheat or rice. The malt powder is made by drying the grain spouts instead of cooking the grain and is available as either a diastatic malt or a non-diastatic malt substance.

Diastatic malt, which contains active enzymes from the sprouting grain, is used to break down the starch in dough and convert it to sugar (maltose) so that the yeast can feed on the sugar enabling the dough to rise, especially in breads such as sourdough that require a longer time for preparation and fermentation to occur. This malt provides more nutrition, an enhanced flavor, a finer texture in the bread crumb, a fresher tasting product, and a browner crust appearance, all without excessive lengths of baking.

Non-diastatic malt, which does not contain the active enzymes, is most often used as a sweetener to give baked goods and cereals more flavor, a glossier appearance and a softer more consistent crumb. Bagels, breads, granola, cookies, salty crackers or snacks, gravies, and sauces are all products that commonly use non-diastatic malt.